Timon’s Jaiden Harrison breaks WNY scoring record in boys basketball

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Inside a star-studded gym overflowing with onlookers, Jaiden Harrison raised the bar for Western New York hoops.

The Bishop Timon-St. Jude senior became WNY’s all-time leader scorer in boys basketball in Friday night’s 78-65 win at Canisius, netting 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter of the marquee matchup between the top-ranked teams in the area. With Buffalo’s NBA player representative Jordan Nwora and Davion Warren, the former Timon star now playing in the NBA G-League, among the faces in the crowd, the No. 2 Tigers (21-2) got their lick back against the No. 1 Crusaders (20-3), who had won 15 in a row, including last month’s triumph at Timon.

WNY watches Jaiden Harrison grow into all-time scoring leader

Harrison, who needed 16 points to surpass the record set by Cheektowaga’s Dom Welch in 2017, now has 2,384 points going into Timon’s senior night Monday against O’Hara. Breaking the record on a 3-pointer off the dribble in the fourth quarter, Harrison is 16 points away from overtaking Niagara University coach Greg Paulus in the top 20 on New York State’s all-time scoring list. Paulus, who went on to play for Duke, was 2005 Mr. Basketball in the state for Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse.

“It’s the ultimate feeling to be the all-time leading scorer in the city I was born and raised,” Harrison said. “It’s still kicking in. We got the win. that’s what I’m really happy about. The record, that is going to settling in when more time goes along.”

Timon teammate Jacob Humphrey was the star of the night Friday at Canisius, scoring a career-high 37 points, delighting his family in the crowd that included sisters Angel and Aaliyah Parker, the women’s basketball stars at Niagara.

“He’s very capable of that, and I’m not surprised he almost went for 40,” Harrison said. “Having guys like him and Nakhyi (Harris), that’s what makes us a great team.”

All attention turned to Harrison after his record basket. The game was stopped for a moment to acknowledge the achievement, and Harrison was honored on the floor with a banner and framed memento, posing for pictures with Timon players and coaches.

Welch, currently playing professional basketball overseas after four years at St. Bonaventure and a season with Alabama, recognized Harrison in a social media post saying: “Congrats to my guy @jaidenharrisonn on becoming the new WNY all-time leading scorer. It’s just the beginning, you deserve it and keep rolling.”

Harrison responded, “Appreciate you bro, means a lot coming from you. Looked up to you as a kid!” And he shared similar sentiment about Nwora, Warren and other notable players being on hand.

“Seeing those guys I idolized growing up come back is a great feeling,” Harrison said. “It’s a special night. I feel really blessed.”

***

Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.